>> Monday, October 12, 2015

I’ve wanted to make cinnamon rolls for breakfast for like six months now. Every time I think to get out my mixing bowls, I get discouraged when I see all the rising time in different recipes. So, I came across a tasty pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe on Sally’s Baking Addiction (after all, I love our pumpkin pizza dough -- I figured it’d be a similar thing).

And then I asked myself . . . what if I just didn’t wait?

Well, I first made the recipe vegan because I didn’t have eggs or butter or milk in my pantry. I also didn’t wait for anything to rise much at all. They turned out w.o.n.d.e.r.f.u.l.l.y and this recipe will be a staple in our house for the holiday season to come.

Melt the 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance on your stovetop. Whisk together with the coconut milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and salt. Then take it off the heat (you don’t want it HOT, just warm), prepare your Ener-G egg, and whisk that in until smooth.

While this mixture is still warm, transfer to a large mixing bowl and add in the yeast. Wait a couple minutes to dissolve.

Then add in the flour. I started with just 2 cups and then kept adding until my mixture didn’t stick to my fingers. Don’t add TOO much flour. The dough should be somewhat loose.

Drizzle your dough with a bit of olive oil and cover while you prepare the filling.

Simply combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and Earth Balance in a small bowl. Set aside.

I think because I was occupied with cleaning that I let my dough rise a grand total of maybe 10 to 15 minutes. That’s all.

Then generously flour a work surface and roll your dough with a rolling pin into a rectangle that’s about 16 inches by 10 inches (yes -- I measured).

Spread the filling over the entire thing and then roll so it’s a long tube. Cut into 10 to 12 cinnamon rolls.

Arrange the rolls in your pan. Then bake for 15 minutes. That’s right! I didn’t let them rise at all before putting them in the oven.

Cover with foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. You’ll likely notice they’ve puffed quite a bit. Also: I found mine took a bit longer in the oven, and I think it’s because I used a glass pan, so keep and eye on the rolls to see when they’re golden. The foil is to keep them from burning, but I did remove it in the final couple minutes.

Let cool before devouring. You can also top them with icing or cream cheese, etc. But I found them sweet enough as is, especially because I increased the filling a bit from the original recipe.